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When Can You Start Lifting Weights After A C- Section? If you do feel like you’re ready, just check in with your doctor before you decide to start lifting. If you had a c-section, you can start lifting weights after 8-12 weeks. That may seem like a long time, but understand that a c-section is major abdominal surgery. Some women might be ready sooner, others won’t. This is also assuming that your c-section was uncomplicated. Well, you have a scar in your lower abdomen that is approximately 10 cm wide! We also have to cut through several layers of tissue just to get the baby out.Įvery single one of these layers has to heal before you can do any strenuous activity. When we see you at the 6-week postpartum visit, we will assess how your body is healing. At that point, we can give you more personalized information. How Long Does It Take You to Heal Internally From A Cesarean Section?Įveryone is highly individual, but for the most part, your incisions heal by the 6-week mark. However, it is important to understand that healed is different from ready. Your muscles will still be sore, weak, and deconditioned. That is why we don’t want you to jump right back to the barbell. You can actually begin exercising a lot sooner than this.
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In fact, the American College of OBGYN (ACOG), says women can return to exercising a couple of days after delivery.īut keep in mind that they aren’t referring to vigorous weight lifting. Ok, so how do you know if you can lift weights on the earlier side? Factors That Dictate How Early You Can Lift Weights Now let’s go over factors that determine if you need to wait longer or not. Here are three things you need to take into consideration.
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If you lifted weights prior to giving birth, then you won’t need to wait as long. In fact, one of my good friends lifted heavy weights up until she was 39 weeks pregnant.
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